Erak Starfollower
Erak Starfollower, once Jarl and now Oberjarl of Skandia, and a good friend and ally of Araluen and King Duncan. History Erak appears in several of the Ranger's Apprentice books. The Burning Bridge In the second book, Erak makes his debut. He was part of the group of Skandians hired by Morgarath to ambush the back of King Duncan's army. However, after they were routed, Erak gets fed up with the whole affair and takes his men home, double-crossing Morgarath. At the bridge, he sees Will and Evanlyn; Will is fighting off the Wargals and Nordal (one of his crew) knocks the apprentice unconscious. Evanlyn tries to shoot at them but she is captured and both are taken to Skandia where they are to be sold as slaves. The Icebound Land Erak captured Will and Princess Cassandra (Evanlyn), and sold them to Ragnak as slaves. But, like all Skandians, Erak respects people with courage and seeing Will take out a dozen Wargals with almost inhuman accuracy, he soon starts to admire Will. After selling Will to Borsa who is, in a way, a secretary to Ragnak, he witnesses Will beccome addicted to warmweed and decides to help Will and Cassandra escape. Erak gives Cassandra a horse and some supplies and tells them to head toward a hunting lodge. He also gives her a small supply of warmweed so she can ween Will off of it. The Battle for Skandia Erak fights in the Battle against the Temujai, and also helps plan the attack with Halt, Will, Horace, and Cassandra. He helps protect Cassandra against Ragnak, who swore a Vallasvow against the Araluen Royal Family, which means he is bound to kill them. Erak persuades him to not kill Cassandra for the moment, and to concentrate on the Temujai threat. Erak takes part in the battle near the end of the book. At the end of the fourth book, he is elected as the new Oberjarl because Ragnak died during the battle with the Temujai. Erak and Halt become good friends in the course of the fourth book. They fight alongside one another in the battle against the Temujai. He also admires Will. At the very end of the book, he makes a treaty with King Duncan outlawing full-scale Skandian invasions and allowing for a platoon of Araluen archers to be permanently stationed in Skandia. Erak's Ransom Erak appears in book seven, bored of his life as Oberjarl and its never-ending paperwork. He heads out for a one-off raid on the Arridi town of Al Shabah; however, it turns out to be a trap and he is captured and held for ransom. Svengal turns up at Halt and Pauline's wedding in Redmont to bring the news and tells them that he didn't go to Skandia because someone must have betrayed the Oberjarl to the Arridi. Cassandra, Horace, Will, Gilan and Halt then journey to Arridia with Evanlyn, bearing the ransom warrant for Erak in which the Skandians will then pay back after his release. Erak is present at the end of the book when Will is officially made a King's Ranger and joins in at the celebration. The Lost Stories The Bridal Dance Erak comes to Horace and Cassandra's wedding at Redmont Castle. Skills Erak is known for his navigational abilities, and his willingness to use his battleaxe to make his point known. He is an experienced fighter and can use a sword but prefers an axe. Unlike most Skandias, he is more tactical as is evidenced by his tricking Toshak in their fight at the end of book seven. Description Although he's gruff and battle-hardened, Erak has a soft side too, which can be seen more in The Icebound Land. Erak also has a good sense of humor (which, like most Skandian's humor, is somewhat unsubtle). He is described as being tall, strong, muscular and "built like a bear", with a bushy beard, which is common among Skandians. Unlike most Skandians, he seems to have a certain amount of patience, as seen in his fight with Toshak. Like most Skandians, he enjoys his drink and can tend to get out of hand when having a generous amount. Category:Rulers Category:Humans Category:Protagonists Category:The Burning Bridge characters Category:The Battle for Skandia characters Category:Skandians Category:The Icebound Land characters Category:Erak's Ransom characters Category:Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Males Category:The Bridal Dance Characters Category:The Lost Stories Characters Category:Wolfwind Crew Members Category:Jarls Category:Leaders Category:Royalty